V-belt pulley variable transmission



Feb. ,15, 1966 A. MAURER l-:TAL I 3,234,806

V-BELT PULLEY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION Original Filed. March 51. 1961 INVENTOR.

ALBRECHT MAURE BY W/Lf/fL/w sa United States Patent Ollice 3,234,806 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 3,234,806 V-BELT PULLlEY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION Albrecht Maurer, Hoelderlinweg 18, and Wilhelm Besel, Leopoldsweg 3, both of Bad Homburg vor der Hohe, Germany Original application Mar. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 99,775, now Patent No. 3,102,431, dated Sept. 3, 1963. Divided and this application Aug. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 299,809 5 Claims. (Cl. 74--23ll.17)

The present invention relates to V-belt pulley variable transmissions. This application is :a division of the copending U.S. application Serial No. 99,775, tiled by the same applicant on March 31, 1961, now Patent No. 3,102,431.

In that application there is disclosed :a V-belt pulley inllnitely variable transmission freely detachable unit in which a pair of V-helt pulleys, are mounted on a driving shaft and a driven shaft respectively, each of said pulleys comprising a pair of cone-shaped flanges, one llange of each pair being tlxedly secured to its respective shaft, the other llange of each pair being displaceable axially but non-rotatably on said respective shaft, a V-belt being arranged to travel over the pulleys.

In the operation of V-belt pulley variable drives it is desirable to make a subsequent adjustment of a previously preset spacing between the individual drive flange pairs in order to compensate for a possible elongation of the V-belt.

In order to effect this compensation evenly with respect to the median plane of the drive pulley ilange pair, there may be advantageously built in a gear, through a maintenance opening in the transmission housings carrier wall, which, when in a certain set position, may be secured by means of a set screw. This gear may be provided, with two toothed tlanges. One of these toothed flanges is provided with a thread at the point of the axially displ-aceable drive flange member. The other gear llange engages with an oppositely threaded member, which acts upon the bearing of the non-rotatable other drive pulley 1lange. Both gear flanges, together with the member to which they are secured, :are thus moved equal distances sideways when the common gear is rotated, whereby both drive ilanges are adjusted an equal `amount to the right or left relative to an ideal median plane.

When it is desired to bring about the known transfer of rotational moments between the drive pulley llange pairs and their shafts through pressure surfaces which abut against rollers associated with the drive shafts, this transfer is carried out, according to the invention, in such a manner that the same axial pressure is exerted upon the V-belt regardless -of the transmission and 4load ratio with a given peripheral force. For this purpose the following provision may be made.

A lever rod is connected directly or indirectly to at least one of the rotatable but axially non-displaceable drive llanges at two diametrically opposed points. One end of the lever rod is guided in a recess Vseat of the attached axially displaceable drive flange, while the other end of the lever actuates a swingable stirrup member.

Both swingable stirrups are disposed with their pairs of boss ends perpendicularly to the trunnions arranged at the drive -shaft axis, the said ends being provided with flat-surfaced broadened portions. These broadened portions, which form a variable angle, each abut rollers which are supported on a ring at diametrically opposed points. This ring, again, is secured to the attached drive shaft at an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of the trunnions so that a gimbal or Cardans suspension becomes possible. This arrangement results, along with automatic pressure, on the V-belt pulley tlanges, depending on the V-belts rotational moment, in a stress-free drive, independent of the rotational direction of the drive flange pairs.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

It should be understood, however, that these are given by way of illustration and not of limitation, and that various changes in the details, form and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side View in cross-section through the drive in assembled condition, ready for installation,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational View of the device,

FIG. 3 is a view, partly in elevation, partly in section, of the device employed for the automatic application of pressure on the V-belt pulley llanges in dependence on the V-belts peripheral force, v

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken on line D-D of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged det-ail of the device and FIG. 6 is another enlarged detail of the device.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 1 indicates the pan-like carrier wall which supports all the drive parts. It includes the driving shaft 2 with the drive pulley pair 3 and 4 seated thereon, the driven shaft 5 with its V-belt pulley pair 6 and 7 and a suitable structure for the V-belt which serves to transmit the power between the drive pulley pairs.

The drive pulley flanges 4 and 6 `are positioned xedly and nonrotatably on their shaft, while the drive flanges 3 and 7 are liekwise arranged non-rotatably but axially displaceable on their shaft. parts are mounted in the carrier wall 1 and plate 9 parallel thereto, respectively. The mutual position and spacing of carrier elements 1 and 9 is secured through a traverse or spacer -means consisting o-f two spacer 'bars 10 which are disposed in the space enclosed by the V-belt 8.

This traverse or spacer means serves simultaneously as a guide -for the movable dog or bracket 11 by means of which is effected the axial movement of ydrive sheaves 3 and 7 relative to the drive sheaves 4 and 6. :For this purpose there are provided at the carrier body oppositely directed fork brackets l12 and 13, on the shafts 14 of which are borne swingaible ring lmembers 15 and 16. The ring member 15 is connected by means of a right hand thread with the bushing 17 for the thrust bearing 1S and is thereby capable to act upon sleeve 19 on which is rigidly secured drive flange 3. The drive flange 3 thereby follows the movement of the ring body 15 and changes its position relative to the lixed drive sheave 4.

rEhe ring member 16 is disposed over shaft bearing 20 of the drive llange '7 which is diagonal to drive llange 3, Drive llange 7 is keyed to bushing 21 and follows each changed position into which drive sheave 3 is axially dis- .placed in t-he same sense and for the `same distance, while drive flange 6 remains llxed. Rollers 22, on which mofvable dog 11 is guided, serve to facilitate the moving operation.

The ymechanism `for transfering the torsional moments between drive pulley llange pair 6 `and 7 and the driven shaft 5 is generally indicated lby the numeral 37. FIGS. 2-5 illustrate the mechanisms details. The same mechanism may also be provided at drive pulley flange pair 3 and 4. A lever link 38 is secured at each of two dliametrically opposed points 37' rto the driven pulley flange 6 which is xedly and non-rotatably secured to driven shaft 5. One end of each link, 38, ris guided in a recess in the shiftable sleeve 21 with which the axially displaceable drive llange 7 follows the adjusting movement of the adjusting dog 11 and part 16. Secured to both links 38, respectively, yby means of links 39, are swingalble stirrups #itl and 41, the boss-shaped ends of which are These known cons-truction rotatably mounted, as adjacent pairs on trunnions 42 and 43 which `are disposed at right angles to the axis of driven shaft 5. The -trunnions 42 and 43 are fxedly mounted on a support 44 `which is secured to drive pulley flange 6. The *boss-shaped ends of the swingable stir- -rups 4t) and 4l are formed with flat surfaced broadened portions 45 and 46, which are shown on an enlanged scale in FIG. 6. Similar enlargements are also present at stirrups 40 and 41 in FIG. 4. These broadened portions 45 and 46 form a variable angle (FIG. 5) and abut with their surfaces the two rollers 47, which transfer through the links, the increased peripheral force from the endless belt 8 to the driven pulley pair 6 and 7 and to the driven shaft 5. In addition, both of the rollers 47 are secured to a ring 48, at stations 50 aligned with trunnions 42 and 43, said ring being connected to the driven shaft by means of a pin 49 which is perpendicular -to the ring. rIlhe slanting position of the swinging stirrups 40 and 41 and thereby of the angle a enclosed by the surfaces 45 and 46 abutting the rollers 47 is set according to the particular spacing `of drive pulley flanges 6 and 7 without thereby occasioning a change in lthe force transferred to the rollers 47. This is dependent solely on the amount of the increased peripheral t-orque of pulley 3 and is independent of the set transfer ratio between the drive flange pairs.

The represented construction, as shown in FIG. l is completed as an enclosed oil-tight unit by means of a housing 51 between carrier wall 1 and the plate 9, and may be attached to a `desired machine with or without tihs complement, without any further complications. For this purpose it is only necessary to connect the right stub of the driven shaft 5 with t-he drive shaft of such a machine, for example, by `means of a sleeve and then perhaps provide the connection to t-he machine frame by means of screws 52a shown in FIG. 2.

To adjust the mutual spacing of a drive pulley flange pair, in this case the part-s 3 and 4, in the same direction relative to the middle plane there is employed, as shown in FIG. l, a gear 53, accessible from without through `service opening 51. The displacement of the gear may be arrested by means of screw 57.

Gear 53 meshes with a pair of toothed flanges 54 and 55. The toothed flange 54 is fixedly mounted on the bushing 17, on which is positioned the right-end `threaded ring member 15, so that toothed flange S4 acts upon the drive flange 3. The toothed flange 55 is mounted on a ring 56 which is displaceable by means of a left-handed thread relative to a fixed support and thereby displaces drive shaft 2 with its rigidly mounted drive flange 4. When gear 53 is rotated, the toothed dlanges 54 `and 55 follow and move each of the drive flanges 3 and 4 exactly the same distances towards or away from each other.

The .flux of force may also run inversely. In this case the axis 5 is the driving shaft and axis 2 is the driven shaft.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. In a V-belt pulley infinitely variable transmission freely detachable unit provided with a driving shaft, a driven shaft parallel to the driving shaft, a pair of V-belt pulleys, each comprising a pair of cone-shaped flanges one of which is flxedly secured to its respective shaft, lthe other flange of each pair being displaceable axially but non-rotatably on said respective shaft and a V-belt arranged to travel over the pulleys and means for spacing the flanges relative to one another, in combination, a support member secured to the fixed flange and extending axially thereof, a ring mounted on said driven shaft, a pair of rollers secured transversely to said ring on opposite sides thereof, pressure means abutting said rollers, and means operably connecting said pressure means and said displaceable flange.

2. In a V-belt pulley infinitely variable transmission freely detachable unit provided with a driving shaft, a driven shaft parallel to the driving shaft, a pair of V- belt pulleys, each comprising a pair of cone-shaped flanges one of which is fixedly secured to its respective shaft, the other flange of each pair being displaceable axially but non-rotatably on said respective shaft and a V-belt arranged to travel over the pulleys and means for spacing the flanges relative to one another, in combination, a support secured to a fixed flange of one of said pairs and extending axially thereof, a ring mounted on Said driven shaft, a pair of rollers secured transversely to said ring on opposite sides thereof, a pair of swingable stirrups one end of which is formed with a flat broadened portion abutting each of said rollers respectively and being pivotable to said support and means operatively connecting the other ends of said stirrups with a displaceable flange of said one pair.

3. In a V-belt pulley infinitely variable transmission freely detachable unit provided with a driving shaft, a driven shaft parallel to the driving shaft, a pair of V-helt pulleys, each comprising a pair of cone-shaped flanges one of which is flxedly secured to its respective shaft, the other flange of each pair being displaceable axially but non-rotatably on said respective shaft and a V-belt arranged to travel over the pulleys and means for spacing the flanges relative to one another, in combination, a sleeve secured to a displaceable flange of one pulley pair and provided with a recess, a lever having one end pivotably secured to the xed pulley flange of said one pulley pair and another end guided in said recess, a support secured to said fixed flange, a ring mounted on said driven shaft, a pair of rollers secured transversely to said ring on opposite sides thereof, a pair of swingable stirrups, one end of which is formed with a flat broadened portion abutting each of said rollers respectively and with trunnions pivotable in said support and link members having a first end pivotable to the other end of each of said stirrups and to the central portions of said levers respectively.

4. The device according to claim 3, further provided with means for supplemental adjustment of at least one pair of flanges, said means comprising a pair of externally threaded bushings enclosing the shaft on which said pair of flanges is mounted, a regulating gear engageable with said bushings whereby said bushings are propelled in opposite directions for displacing said drive shaft and the fixed flange secured thereto and said movable flange.

5. The device according to claim 4, further provided with a panlike carrier wall said wall having a service opening for providing access to said means for supplemental adjustment and a screw extending through said wall for adjusting the displacement of said gear.

No references cited.

DON A. WAITE, Primary Examiner. 

2. IN A V-BELT PULLEY INFINITELY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION FREELY DETACHABLE UNIT PROVIDED WITH A DRIVING SHAFT, A DRIVEN SHAFT PARALLEL TO THE DRIVING SHAFT, A PAIR OF VBELT PULLEYS, EACH COMPRISING A PAIR FO CONE-SHAPED FLANGES ONE OF WHICH IS FIXEDLY SECURED TO ITS RESPECTIVE SHAFT, THE OTHER FLANGE OF EACH PAIR BEING DISPLACEABLY AXIALLY BUT NON-ROTATABLY ON SAID RESPECTIVE SHAFT AND A V-BELT ARRANGED TO TRAVEL OVER THE PULLEY AND MEAN FOR SPACING THE FLANGES RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, IN COMBINATION, A SUPPORT SECURED TO A FIXED FLANGE OF ONE OF SAID PAIRS AND EXTENDING AXIALLY THEREOF, A RING MOUNTED ON SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, A PAIR OF ROLLERS SECURED TRANSVERSELY TO SAID RING ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, A PAIR OF SWINGABLE STIRRUPS ONE END OF WHICH IS FORMED WITH A FLAT BROADENED PORTION ABUTTING EACH OF SAID ROLLERS RESPECTIVELY AND BEING PIVOTALLY TO SAID SUPPORT AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID STIRRUPS WITH A DISPLACEABLE FLANGE OF SAID ONE PAIR. 